Trump Administration Issues Government-Wide Ban on Federal Funding for Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research

The Trump administration on Tuesday released a government-wide policy that prohibits federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function (DGOF) research in the United States and abroad, while imposing new independent review and reporting requirements on other high-risk life sciences studies. The 12-page guidance, dated July 20 and publicly released July 28, implements Executive Order 14292, which President Donald Trump signed on May 5, 2025.

"The federal government has a duty to protect the American people—not fund research that could put them at risk," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Defining Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research (搜索)搜索该疾病

The policy defines DGOF as research with a biological agent that seeks, achieves, or has a substantial risk of producing listed outcomes and could cause significant societal harm. Those outcomes include increasing an agent's harmful effects, transmissibility, or resistance to medical interventions; changing its host range; or reconstituting an eradicated or extinct agent.

The framework creates four funding categories and establishes that an independent review body must evaluate research with the potential to become DGOF and determine that a project will not meet the prohibited definition before a federal agency may fund it.

International Research Restrictions

The policy also bars federal funding for life sciences research conducted in a country of concern, or outside the United States by an institution or individual of concern. Other risky international research may proceed only after officials assess the possible threat and the institution's ability to provide adequate oversight.

Medical Countermeasures Remain Eligible

The policy explicitly states that it does not prohibit the development of essential medical products or medical countermeasures. Federally supported work on vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures may continue under the new safeguards.

"The overwhelming majority of biomedical research provides enormous benefits to society," said National Institutes of Health查看公司主页 Director Jay Bhattacharya. He added that research which could create extraordinary biological risks should receive the highest level of scrutiny.

In an opinion article published in The Wall Street Journal, Bhattacharya elaborated that the new policy "is based on three principles: that there are categories of research too risky to pursue, such as dangerous gain-of-function research (搜索)搜索该疾病 and international research lacking appropriate oversight; that the entirety of the biomedical research enterprise must assess and monitor risks; and that researchers, institutions and funders will be held accountable for evaluating and reporting on high-risk research."

AI Monitoring Without an Outright Ban

Notably, the policy does not prohibit funding for scientific research that uses artificial intelligence or relies on similar computational methods. Instead, it establishes a new oversight mechanism.

"The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (搜索)搜索该词条 (OSTP) will convene an interagency group to monitor advancements at the intersection of biological sciences and artificial intelligence, including in silico life sciences research," the guidance states.

The policy draws a clear distinction between high-risk biological research and purely computational studies. "When a proposal includes plans to create or modify a biological agent that would meet the definition of DGOF research or potential DGOF research and is the result of in silico research, this policy applies," the document specifies. "However, purely computational (i.e., in silico) research that may include development of computational models and software, or may use such means to design novel forms of biological agents, is not prohibited by this policy unless it involves an entity of concern."

This approach comes amid broader concerns about AI's potential role in biological threats. The Trump administration's AI Action Plan released in July 2025 warned that AI could be weaponized to "create new pathways for malicious actors to synthesize harmful pathogens and other biomolecules." Last month, leading tech executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei signed an open letter warning that "AI systems are improving rapidly, and alongside incredible benefits to science and medicine, there is a real possibility that the knowledge barriers which have historically prevented bad actors from obtaining biological weapons will meaningfully erode."

Implementation Timeline and Penalties

Federal agencies have 90 days from the policy's issuance to establish a single independent review body and 120 days to issue implementation guidance. Federally funded research institutions have 180 days to establish internal review entities, designate institutional contacts, and begin annual training.

Institutions receiving federal research funds must evaluate all proposed or ongoing life sciences research under the new definitions. Researchers must attest in writing whether a project involves DGOF, potential DGOF, or international research of concern. Any project that may cross into the prohibited category must be stopped immediately, with researchers required to notify institutional and federal officials within 24 hours.

Violations may lead to immediate revocation of ongoing federal funding, up to five years of ineligibility for federal life sciences funds, and other penalties under federal law.

The policy governs federal support rather than imposing a direct nationwide ban on privately financed research. It notes that additional statutory action is required to stop all DGOF research and funding by U.S. entities, while an interagency group will explore regulatory, legislative, or other steps to address this gap.